Sefako Makgatho university lifts student protester suspension
“We were unfairly suspended for standing up for the rights of students and doing so in a peaceful manner,” says SRC president.
The suspension of four Sefako Makgatho health sciences university (SMU) students who protested over not receiving food and book allowances has been revoked this week.
The students were part of a protest at the university’s Ga-Rankuwa campus last week that shut down academic activity for three consecutive days over the non-payment of meal allowances.
The university management served the four students with suspension letters on Wednesday, April 6.
Three serve on the student representative council (SRC) as president, Thato Masekoa, his secretary and chairperson.
University spokesperson Dr Lusani Netshitomboni said the decision to lift the suspension came after the three made legal representations.
“Management, led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Peter Mbati met with the SRC and organised labour on April 6 where specific commitments were made towards resolving the impasse.
“The students who were given notice of suspension, as per the letters dispatched to them, still required to make representations with regard to the university’s intention to suspend them,” Netshitomboni said.
The students, subsequently, submitted their representations to the university.
“Having considered their representations and other relevant factors, their suspension was lifted with effect from midnight on April 10.”
SRC president Masekoa said: “We were unfairly suspended for standing up for the rights of students and doing so in a peaceful manner.”
However, Netshitomboni said the students broke the student code of conduct.
“The students prevented motorists from entering the university premises, and as a result interfered with the academic activities of the university.
“Their conduct further hindered other students from participating in the academic activities of the university.
“As a result, the students were suspended because their conduct contravened the student code of conduct and student disciplinary procedure, institutional rules and directive issued by authority of the university,” he said.
Netshitomboni blamed Nsfas for the delay of student allowances payment.
“The strike was a result of Nsfas delaying payment of allowances to the approved students.”
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